Price spent his first nine seasons in Cleveland (although he lost a little more than a full year to injuries) before bouncing around the league a bit at the end. He still ranks 30th all-time in NBA 3-point percentage (.402). But James surpassed him in a little more than seven seasons. Quite remarkable for a kid who once upon a time couldn’t shoot – although in fairness, James has also attempted in excess of 400 more 3s than Price did in his time with the Cavs.

“It means I’ve been healthy and my teammates have allowed me to do some pretty good things,” James said of tying the mark. “For a guy who came into the NBA as a non-shooter, I’ve worked on my game a little bit over the years.”

This was one of the few records James didn’t already own. He returned this season as the franchise leader in points, field goals, scoring average, shots attempted, free throws, free throws attempted, 3-pointers attempted, steals and minutes played. If he stays healthy he’ll surpass Price in assists by the end of the season.

Mark Price is in his second season as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Hornets. As a member of a talented staff led by head coach Steve Clifford, Price has been an integral part of the Hornets’ newfound success over the last two years.

Before joining Clifford in Charlotte, the son of Oklahoma hoops legend Denny Price spent time coaching with the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors and Orlando Magic. The four-time NBA All-Star and all-time leader in playoff free throw percentage has also made coaching stops in high school, college and overseas since retiring after a 12-year NBA career in 1998.

While building off the momentum created by a postseason berth a year ago, Price has been working with Kemba Walker, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and the newly acquired Lance Stephenson, among other Hornets. Coach Price talked with SLAM about how the Charlotte group is progressing, along with what he learned by going through the interview process for the Cleveland Cavaliers head coach position last summer.

SLAM: With the season underway, what have been some of the messages or themes that you, Coach Clifford and other Hornets assistants like Patrick Ewing are talking about with the guys?

Mark Price: We’re trying to build off the success we had last year. We added some new pieces over the summer, so we have a different-looking team right now than we had last year. We lost Josh McRoberts, and we brought in Lance Stephenson, Marvin Williams, Brian Roberts, and two draft picks; so we have five new guys on our team. We got off to a slower start than we hoped, but I feel like we’re starting to play better now. Sometimes it just takes a little while with any new group of guys. But I like the way we’re starting to play.

SLAM: You mentioned adding Lance, a player with star-ability who’s shown up big in the postseason during his career with the Indiana Pacers. How are things going for Lance, adjusting to the new system, new plays, and new team in Charlotte?

MP: He’s coming along well. You always have to get a feel for your new teammates and the new system. For Lance, he played his entire career in Indiana. So there’s an adjustment there, learning a new system and new terminology. But we’re excited about his progress, and then also excited about what Lance brings to the team. His ability to pass the ball and rebound from the shooting guard position, facilitating offense, things like that. We didn’t really have that type of piece on our team last year. So we’re obviously excited to have him, and hopefully we can continue to keep getting better as the season progresses.

SLAM: How about the other New York kid, Kemba Walker? He just signed a four-year, $48 million extension. How has his approach been evolving in terms of leadership at point guard?

MP: Kemba’s been a great leader for us. He was our leader last year, and he continues to do that now. He really worked hard to continue to improve his game. He worked extremely hard over the summer, and he’s playing really well for us right now. His floor game has improved and that’s helped his ability to run the team. That’s an area of his growth. He can still score the ball, but he’s more comfortable running the offense and contributing in other ways. And then he also knows he’s going to be in Charlotte, like you said. He doesn’t have to worry about any of the contract stuff. He can just continue to concentrate on helping us win games.

SLAM: You and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist have a strong bond, you’ve spent a lot of time working with him. How is he progressing in his third NBA season?

MP: Mike probably had the best summer of anybody on our team. He just worked extremely hard. We spent a lot of time together, working on improving his jump shot. And he’s made tremendous progress in that area. He’s playing with a lot more confidence. He was probably our best player during the preseason for us. Unfortunately, he’s banged up a little bit right now, not playing for a few games. But he’s just that guy who defends the best player on the other team every night. He brings that energy level. And now that he’s confident he can knock down that 15-foot jumper, you can see him just add even more confidence to other areas of his game, and it’s helping him really grow.

SLAM: The Cavaliers—a franchise that has your No. 25 hanging from the rafters—requested to speak with you during their head-coaching search this summer. What did you learn, or how did you grow as a coach, by going through that interview process?

MP: I think you can grow from every experience you have. That experience helped me take another step as a coach. It was an honor to be considered, and I was excited that the Cavs wanted to talk with me about the position. You know how I feel about Cleveland, and the people of Cleveland, so that was just a real thrill to be considered by the Cavs. It was also a great experience to have the chance to talk with [Cleveland GM] David Griffin, talk about philosophy, talk about others things. And it was just kind of another step forward for me, helping me to get better and grow as a coach.

SLAM: As a Cleveland sports icon and Cavs hero, obviously you’re focused on the task at hand in Charlotte, but seeing or hearing about how Cleveland was as a city on opening day to celebrate LeBron’s return, what was your reaction? I know the Hornets haven’t been to Cleveland yet, but just as a former Cavaliers player, what is it like to see the festive atmosphere and energy back in Northeast Ohio?

MP: When I learned that LeBron was going back to Cleveland, I was really happy for the city. And the team. I want the Cavs to always do great, except for every time they play the Charlotte Hornets [Laughs]. But I was, and I am, extremely happy for the city of Cleveland and everything going on right now with Lebron’s return and the team they have. Having played there, I know what great people Cavs fans are, and the energy has been really great to see.

SLAM: You joined Twitter a few months ago (@Mark25Price). How is your Twitter game coming along?

MP: It’s just been fun. It’s a new experience for me. My wife kind of tricked me into getting on Twitter. My wife actually communicates with a lot of Cleveland fans, and they made a Twitter site for me. So when they turned it over, I really didn’t have to do too much to create it [Laughs]. But you know, I’m trying to throw a tweet out there every once in a while, trying to get a feel for it. I’ll get better at Twitter eventually.

Brendan Bowers is an NBA writer who covers the Cavaliers and the NBA in Cleveland for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @BowersCLE. Image via Getty.

Stuck somewhere between the peaks of Magic and Isiah, then Stockton, then Payton, then youngsters Kidd and Nash, was Mark Price. A true sniper with a remarkably soft touch, Price just might be the best shooter of any point guard in the game’s history. He wasn’t just a glorified three-point specialist, though—the dude could create his own shot and pass with the best of ’em, too.

His most successful season came in ’91-92, when he knocked off Boston in Game 7 of the Conferences Semis—sending Larry Bird into retirement—before falling to MJ and the Bulls in a competitive six-game ECF set.

One of the more peculiar (read: hideous) jumpshots in the NBA has been abolished. Third-year Charlotte Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has spent months diligently working to fix his funky-looking shot,

The 21-year old has averaged 8.2 points on 46% shooting from the field throughout his career. The coaching staff reports that the results from MKG’s new release have so far been positive.

Per the Charlotte Observer:

“Does it feel that different? Well, it’s going in a lot more,” Kidd-Gilchrist said with a big grin. “I believe in the process. I started in April and it feels great.”

“Process” is the buzzword in this topic. Kidd-Gilchrist used it three times during a 10-minute discussion. Assistant coach Mark Price used it a constantly during another interview at media day Monday. […] Process is code for “If this were easily fixed, it would have been a long time ago.” Consider the numbers: Over his first two NBA seasons Kidd-Gilchrist attempted 18 3-point shots. He made three of those, a gruesome 16.7 percent success rate.

“I’ve never seen anybody’s shooting mechanics change more drastically, in the year or so Mark has worked with him,” [head coach] Steve Clifford said Monday. “He’s not Dell Curry, and that’s important for him to understand and us to understand. He’s played one way his whole life. Mike has always caught it and said, ‘I’ll drive it or pass it.’ Now he has more ability to shoot the ball. […] If he can get to that point where he makes some shots, he’ll have a much different career.”

The great Mark Price will soon be tasked with teaching the Charlotte Bobcats how to shoot. Price is set to join the Bobcats‘ coaching staff. Per the Charlotte Observer: “The Charlotte Bobcats are in the process of hiring former Georgia Tech and Cleveland Cavaliers star Mark Price as an assistant coach, in part to improve the team’s overall shooting. Price shot 90 percent from the foul line and 40 percent from 3-point range over his 12-season NBA career. He’ll join Steve Clifford’s new staff, which also includes Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing. Since retiring as a player, Price has worked for several NBA teams, either as a coach or consultant, to address players’ shooting – Denver, Memphis and the Golden State Warriors. […] Rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who struggled as an outside shooter last season, specifically requested the team hire a shooting coach at the season’s conclusion. Price could also be helpful to center Bismack Biyombo, who truggles to have any shooting range.”

The greatest free-throw shooter in NBA history, Mark Price, has joined the Orlando Magic’s coach staff. From the Sentinel: “The Magic will add four-time NBA all-star and former Magic point guard Mark Price to their staff as a player-development coach, and his primary focus will be on helping players with their shooting. The Plain Dealer reported the news first. ‘Anytime you get an opportunity to add somebody like him to your staff, you do,’ Magic General Manager Otis Smith said. ‘He’ll work a lot with guys on their shooting. That’s big for us. Hopefully, he can help Dwight with his free throws and get his free-throw percentages up.’ Price, 47, will travel with the team. He’ll sit in on coaches’ meetings, although assistant coaches Bob Beyer, Steve Clifford, Patrick Ewing and Brendan Malone will continue to share responsibility for prepping for specific opponents. Last season, Price worked as the Golden State Warriors’ shooting coach. The previous two seasons, he served as a shooting consultant for the Atlanta Hawks. Before that, he held a similar consulting position with the Memphis Grizzlies. Price made 90.4 percent of his foul shots and 40.2 percent of his 3-pointers during his NBA career, which ended with his lone season with the Magic in 1997-98. ‘It’s not just him being able to shoot, but he’s someone who’s spent a lot of time studying shooting and studying the teaching of shooting,’ Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said. ‘To be able to add someone like that, we thought, was a great opportunity for us. I was grateful that, at a time when a lot of people around the league are looking to cut their staffs, that our organization was willing to add somebody like that.’ Coming off of screens, shooting on-balance and developing a quicker release are all areas Price will examine, Van Gundy said.”

Everybody keeps saying this an amazing time for guard play in the NBA.

Everybody can shut the hell up.

Don’t get me wrong, these young cats can play, but how many of them have the well-rounded games needed to dominate for a decade?

The 1990s had a glut of amazing point guards, the kind of players whose names still roll off the tongue with ease. Gary Payton, John Stockton and Jason Kidd all plied their trade with skill and panache, but who is the best of the best? Let’s get to the list.

John Stockton

If a basketball player wears short shorts for his entire career despite the changes in fashion, is he:
A. An out of touch bumpkin with no sense of style
B. A maverick, unconcerned with style over substance
C. The best point guard of the 1990s

Stockton wasn’t a scorer, but he could score on damn near anyone. He set borderline illegal screens and was the most clutch point guard of his decade.

Where Stockton became an icon was with the ball in his hand looking to make a teammate better. Some point guards understood angles, pace and tempo as well as Stockton, none did it better.

Stockton saw his best assist averages in late 1980s, but even in the 1990s dropping 10 assists was a down year. And on defense he was a terror. Stockton ruled the 90s like Magic ruled the 80s, who cares what he was wearing?

Gary Payton

Oakland’s Finest was the perfect blend of hood and Hickory High. His swagger and fundamentals could make your daddy’s daddy and the grandson bouncing on his knee take notice.

Sadly, Payton’s mouth sometimes distracts people from his ridiculous numbers. By the mid-90s, a stat line of 20 points, 8 assists and 4 boards, with a minimum of two steals was just a day at the office for Payton. Don’t forget the nine selections to the All-Defensive team and the fact that he’s the only point guard ever named Defensive Player of the Year.

Who knows, maybe if George Karl had realized a little earlier its sound strategy to have your best defender guard the best scorer on the opposing team Payton might have made Jordan’s first comeback a little less sweet… On second thought, not even the Glove had that kind of stopping power.

Tim Hardaway

Right now, some folks are shaking their heads at Tim Hardaway beating out Jason Kidd for the number three spot on this list

Check the tape suckers. Kidd never dropped 22.9 points, 9.7 assists and 2.6 steals on 47 percent shooting in his SECOND year in the league. Nah that was the creator of the infamous U-TEP two-step.

Before Iverson unveiled The Crossover 2.0, Hardaway was rupturing ACLs and ligaments league wide. As a member of Run TMC in Golden State, Hardaway managed to get his, and keep Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond fed.

Even when he moved to Miami, Hardaway was still dropping 18 and 8 for a Heat team where defense and overall goonery were paramount. (Sorry E-boy.)

Hardaway’s overall career doesn’t compare to Kidd’s, but in the 90s it would have made sense to take Tim six days a week and twice on Sundays… Pause.

Jason Kidd

Jason Kidd is a lot like Kobe Bryant.

It’s easy to appreciate the mastery, but remain unmoved by the man. There are no real reasons to dislike Kidd. His greatness is undeniable. Yet, “fanhood” seems harder to find.

Regardless, any list of the best point guards of the 90s that didn’t include Jason Kidd would lack credibility.

No-looks, lobs and bounce passes, oh my! The fast break was Kidd’s yellow brick road, and defenders got squashed like the Wicked Witch of the East.

Kenyon Martin, Richard Jefferson and Kerry Kittles all eventually found out that life without Kidd’s passes was as drab as black-and-white.

It’s a shame that Kidd doesn’t have at least one MVP award when a certain Canadian has two, but the world is full of injustices. Then again, Kidd regularly failed to crack 40 percent from the field, so that’s an issue. But, if ask any player who filled a lane in the 1990s which player they’d want in the middle with the rock, it has to be Jason Kidd. Word to munchkins and flying monkeys. No Imus.

Kevin “KJ” Johnson

I know what you’re thinking because I’m thinking it too.

K.J is pretty damn low on this list. But, sadly, Johnson was a frail dude in the 90s, and despite being capable of dropping 22 points, 11 assists and 2 steals on 50 percent shooting he couldn’t seem to stay on the freaking court.

Ankle breaking? He had that in spades. Mid-ranges in the grill? He had them too. And if the job calls for being able to dunk, one-handed on the best shot blocker of the modern era, well K.J would like to apply. He can start immediately.

Before injuries shut him down, K.J. was putting up Earvin Johnson numbers without ever developing a three-point shot. Maybe if the Suns had realized that having Dan Majerle guard Michael Jordan was a grave mistake they might have taken the 1993 Finals from the Bulls.

But, people in Arizona be tripping, you know?

Mark Price

Mark Price is at number 6 on this list and Penny Hardaway, Mark Jackson and Kenny Anderson haven’t had their names called?

Absurd. Ludicrous. Unconscionable.

No it’s not. Price is where he is because he knew how to run a team and get his numbers. The only weaknesses in his game were those put there by God. No matter how hard Price hit the gym, he wasn’t going to overcome being short with no hops and bad knees. Sorry.

But, check out Price’s numbers from the 1989-90 seasons where he dropped 19 and 9. He followed that up with 17 and 10 with 2.6 steals the next year.
If Price didn’t give his opponents at least 17 points and 7 assists while making them shake their heads at the range on his pull-up, well they considered themselves lucky.

The Price is, well you know the rest.

Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway

Is it better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all? Is it better to have a career that rises like booming fireworks and ends with a disappointing fizzle, or to have a career that shines steadily like a dependable streetlight?

When considering where to rank Penny a decision had to be made. Should tantalizing potential or tangible productivity be rewarded? Potential won.

Penny Hardaway was The Man in the 1990s. His combination of size, strength, speed, court vision and hops was sickening. What he lacked in killer instinct, he made up for in pure, unadulterated talent. It’s impossible to overstate just how often his game made people say “Damn…”

Penny and Shaq were supposed to be Mickey Mouse’s version of Magic and Kareem, but personality conflicts and injuries ended that dream. Penny’s planned rebirth in Phoenix was mostly a dud.

But, when Penny was forcing Gary Payton, John Stockton and Clyde Drexler off the All-NBA first team and taking the manhood of sundry Indiana Pacers players, he was The Man. End of discussion.

Mark “Action” Jackson

Mark Jackson’s stats, particularly after his first two years, aren’t really “great.” Game film shows an obvious lack of hops or speed. There was a reason they called him “Turtle.”

But, slow and steady doesn’t just win races, it wins games. Mark Jackson played for teams that won games. In his 17 years in the league, he only missed the playoffs twice.

Jackson rarely averaged fewer than 8 assists a season, and despite never being known as a shooter, he actually shot 40 percent from three several times. Plus, who doesn’t remember him killing little guards with a jump hook that was as ugly as it was effective.

Yes, the shimmy was annoying. Yes, Scottie Pippen exposed all of his weaknesses in the playoffs. But, despite all of his handicaps, Mark Jackson succeeded where a variety of more talented “rabbits” failed.

Now if he could just get some new catchphrases.

Kenny Anderson

Kenny Anderson was putting Queens on the map when Ron Artest was still playing hide-and-seek. (Just playing, don’t kill me Ron.)

His high-school career in Gotham City is the stuff of legend, and after making a cameo in “Lethal Weapon 3” at Georgia Tech, Anderson decided to take his talents to New Jersey. No Lebron.

But, by his third year, Anderson was putting up 18 and 9, while making high-schooler ballers all over America wish they had a left-handed handle and a tuck move in the lane.

Anderson and Derrick Coleman were supposed to be hip-hop’s answer to the country and western flavor of “Stockton to Malone” but sadly, it never happened. They both made the All-Star Team in 1994, but that would be the pinnacle of Anderson’s NBA career.

His production steadily declined, and his otherworldly handle wasn’t enough to prevent his jumpshot from making him a journeyman.

Anderson was NYC to the fullest, but, honestly, he could have been so much more.

Terrell Brandon

Number 10 could have been number one to me…

Actually, Terrell Brandon should never hold the top spot of any list of point guards in the 1990s. But, the illustrious Sports Illustrated magazine did once rank Brandon as the best point guard in the NBA during that same decade.

Go figure.

Brandon gets the final spot on this list mainly because it was difficult to put another player ahead of him.

Iverson and Marbury were too young. Rod Strickland just didn’t seem to fit. Sam Cassell, while a better overall player, was too much of a chucker in his heyday to be considered a top point guard. And Mookie Blaylock isn’t even the most famous Mookie in America. Word to Rosie Perez.

Brandon, in one word, was solid. Before injuries to his knees, he could stick a midrange, penetrate the lane with ease and distribute the rock. Plus, he played well with others.

Besides, if Sports Illustrated wrote it, it must be true. Right?
Allen Powell is a New Orleans-based journalist.

This boy could flat out SHOOT THE BASKETBALL. Standing barely 6-feet tall, his ability to score was mind blowing. A great passer, fearless competitor, and lights-out 3-point shooter, Price will forever be knows as one of Cleveland and Georgia Tech’s best. He was a 4x NBA All-Star and 2x 3-Point Contest Champion in 93-94. Shout out to KBlaze for the mix.

-Schneezy

For more old school videos, check out SLAMtv in the Media section.

Got an old school video you want to see in FOTS? Send the video link to slamteam@harris-pub.com

Kevin Johnson was the Steve Francis of the early 90s. A high-flying guard who could throw down with the best of them and kill you off the dribble. After being drafted by Cleveland in 1987 and losing the starting job to Mark Price, he was traded to Phoenix where he became a 3x NBA All Star and a regular on the highlight reel. I know ya’ll remember this one on Hot Rod Williams and that one on Hakeem the Dream…. BOOM!
–Schneezy

The 1986 NBA Draft will forever be associated with a player who never even played a second in the NBA. We all know the tragic tale of Boston’s no. 2 pick overall, Len Bias, and his draft night cocaine overdose. While Bias payed the ultimate price for his drug use, he wasn’t the only known user in his draft class–Chris Washburn, William Bedford, Roy Tarpley all were top 10 picks in 1986 whose careers were cut short by drug problems.

But all the negativity overshadows an oddity from this draft year–the abundance of stars that got drafted outside of the first round. In fact, more stars got selected outside of the first round than in it. Brad Daugherty was the only All-Star to come out of 1986’s first round, while Mark Price, Dennis Rodman, Kevin Duckworth and Jeff Hornacek went in the second round and Drazen Petrovic in third. A rare occurrence we’ll probably never see again.

Boxing and mixed martial arts are big on rating its athletes on a “pound-for-pound” basis. In that vein, we’d like to nominate Dennis Rodman as the “all-time pound-for-pound undisputed rebounding champion of the world” (with the possible exception of Elgin Baylor). Only 19 players grabbed more NBA rebounds than the 6’7″ 210lb Worm, who lead the League in boards per game seven years in a row (including ridiculous averages of 18.7 and 18.3 in back-to-back years). A two-time Defensive Player of the Year, two-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA player, Rodman also made eight All-Defensive Teams. He should (but probably won’t) make the Hall of Fame, if voters don’t let his “eccentricities” get in the way.

The late 1980s-early 1990s saw a point guard renaissance in the NBA, similar to what the League is experiencing today. And Mark Price was definitely a big part of this resurgence of floor generals, making four All-Star and All-NBA teams during his career. What Price really excelled at was shooting, as he hit over 40 percent from three-point range during his career and his 90.4 percent rate from the charity stripe is the best all-time.

Back injuries cut Brad Daugherty’s career short (and pushed him into the NASCAR world), but his ailments didn’t stop him from teaming up with Mark Price for one of the best one-two punches in the NBA. Despite only playing six full seasons (and parts of two others) in the League, he still made five All-Star teams and an All-NBA team.

There is a good chance even a hardcore NBA fan wouldn’t guess that Jeff Hornacek is the career leader in scoring and assists from the 1986 NBA draft class. There’s also a good chance that if you saw him at your local YMCA you wouldn’t pick him to play on your pickup team (unless you realized he was Jeff Hornacek). But Hornacek had a quiet, yet outstanding, 13-year NBA career, scoring in double figures his last 11 years in the League and finished with career averages of 15, 5 and 3.

Another player whose career was tragically cut short, Hall of Famer Drazen Petrovic was one of the early European trailblazers in the NBA. The Croatian star was just coming into his own before his death at age 28, averaging over 20 ppg his last two seasons and making Third Team All-NBA in his last year in the League.

Unfortunately death seems to be all around this draft class, as Kevin Duckworth also passed away far too soon, at the age of 44. The rotund 7-footer centered the powerhouse Portland teams of the late 1980s-early 1990s, made two All-Star teams and won the Most Improved Player award.

The Rifleman Chuck Person was a joy to watch play, as he never shied away from a shooting and/or trash talk battle with an opponent. The 1986-1987 Rookie of the Year, he enjoyed his best season in 1989 with Indiana, averaging 22, 7 and 4.

Starting his career off as a high-flying star, posting big numbers for Cleveland and the Clippers (he was good for about 20, 6 & 5 a night), Ron Harper and his ugly, twisting jumper settled into an important supporting role with championship Bulls and Lakers squads.

Probably the most talented player in this draft class, unfortunately Arvydas Sabonis didn’t enter the NBA until he was in his 30s and hobbled by injuries. As this highlight reel from his younger days shows, he was truly one of the most talented 7-footers of all-time (and also had one of the best all-time mullet-mustache combos).